Nicolas Freeling (1927-2003) was a British crime novelist best known for the Van Der Valk detective series. After serving in the military and working as a hotel and restaurant cook throughout Europe, he began writing his first novel, Love in Amsterdam, while serving a three-week sentence for stealing food from the restaurant where he worked. Freeling's novel King of the Rainy Country received the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Among his other literary awards are the Gold Dagger from the British Crime Writers Association and France's Grand Prix de Roman Policier.